Rail anchor



April 28, 1931. c. T. HOFFMAN RAIL ANCHOR Filed Aug. 15, 1930 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNETE sArES Erica CHARLES '1. HOFFMAN, or wasnlneron, nrs'rnrc'r or COLUMBIA RAIL ANCHOR Application filed August 15, 1930. Serial No. 475,493;

This invention relates to rail anchors, and more particularly to an anchor of the type made of a single bar or strip stock.-

A primary object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor of the character set forth having a rail flange gripping vjaw and driving head positioned substantially in the plane of the rail base, whereby the driving head is readily adapted to receive a blow from a sledge or track maul for springing a hook at the opposite end of the anchor, over the iiange opposite that engaged by the aw. inat is to say, the present construction aims to provide an anchor which conveniently provides for applying the necessary force for positioning the anchor on the rail in'such a way that said force is not transmitted to a maximum degree directly to the part of the anchor which grips the rail flange; In anchors of the type heretofore used it is not only possible to overdrive the anchors on the rail flange but also the force of the blow is likely to cause rail fracture since the force of the blow is more or less directly transmitted to the rail flange due to the point or points of location thereon of the driving head or heads which may receive the blow of the applying force. However, with the present type of anchor the full force of the applyin blow is transmitted directly to a resilient loop which constitutes an impact receiving head that not only distributes the applying force in an effective manner to the portion of: the anchor forming the rail flange embracing. 5 j aw, but also, because of the relative leverages involved transmits the applying force directly where it lSHlOSt needed, namely, on the member aving the hook which is intended to snap over the opposite rail flange and 9 which is in line with the applicationof force ing blow racing jaw which is spaced from the overhanging driving head portion of the anchor which continues downwardly and under the rail toward the opposite rail flange to provide the tieabutting part of the anchor. In that way the outermost part of the anchor constitutof the ing thedriving head acts as a guard or shield to positively prevent direct transiissio'n of the applying blow to'the bend or bight con-- stituting the outermost portion of the rail flange embracing I Another object of the invention is to provide a one piece spring steel rail anchor which may be readily applied and removed from the rail; thereby rendering the same capable of re -use without injury during the removal processand which will be equally effective in the re-used position-because ofthe' fact that during the initial application the metal of the anchor is never required to be subjected to its'elastic limit or weakening distortion.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention progresses;

Inthe accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved anchor applied to a rail.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig;

3 is a side eleva'tionof a modification invention utilizing strip stock instead of bar stock.

Fig.4 is an end elevation of the anchor shown in Fig. 3 applied.

I am'aware that rail anchors consistingof a single piece ofmaterial comprising a dou-' V ble resilient jaw portion forming an overlapping double leaf spring, and an upwardly'extended portion at its other end connected by a depending intermediate portion are old, but these anchors are placed or driven home by a force delivered-to such intermediate depending portion for the purpose of applying the same to the rail. Furthermore, the overlapping portions of such anchors are of the same contour and are in substantial contact with each other which does not provide the effect sought to be obtained by the present invention, wherein the rail flange embracing jaw is spaced from the overhanging driving head portion in such a way as'to stand free thereof to provide ample driving tolerance to insure the delivery of the full force of the applying blow to the tie abutting portion havingthe hook to be snapped over the other rail flange. In that connection a distinctive feature of the present anchor is that the point of applica- Referring to the drawings, A designates the present anchor in its entirety while B designates the base of the rail having the flanges B1 and B2.

The body of the anchor A may be made of bar stock, that is, substantially square material, or it may be made of strip stock wherein one dimension is greater than the other. In either event the stock is of spring steel of the type usually employed in the construction of rail anchors.

The body of the rail anchor A in Fig. 1 includes a rail flange embracing jaw C consisting of the members 1 and 2 connected by a bend 3, and the upper arm 2 of the jaw is provided with a reverse bend 4. that is continued to provide a lever L which includes an outwardly and downwardly extending resilient striking head 5 which substantially encircles the jaw but stands free therefrom so that the metal at the bend 4 serves as a fulcrum or hinge when the force of the applying blow is delivered to the head 5 in the direction of the arrows. The driving head 5 is continued as at 6 to provide a tie abutting portion lying beneath the rail base B, the same being preferably of relatively straight formation as shown in Fig. 1, and having its free end turned upwardly as indicated at 7 to provide a rail flange engaging hook.

It is also pointed out that the jaw 1-23 and the hook 7 constitute rail flange engaging abutments for gripping the opposite base flanges of the rail, and these rail flange engaging abutments are in turn connected by the tie abutting member 6. V

The initial position of the anchor on the rail is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from which it will be observed that when the arms 1 and 2 of the jaw are in their initial outwardly advanced position, the surface 8 of the hook 7 engages the bottom face of the rail.

'- Thus the anchor in its initial position on the rail may be held steady so that the application of the blow ofthe applying force on the head 5 will readily snap the hook 7 to the full line position shown in Fig. l.

The bend 4 connecting the jaw with the jaw encircling loop 5 and depending member 6 constitutes a lever which isessentially parallel to the vertical axis of the rail web. As the rail to which the anchor is attached tends to creep and the depending member is in consequence pressed against the tie, a pronounced leverage action is produced to distort the jaw, causing it to bite into the rail flange on both its upper and under surfaces, accompanied by an urging of the bight of the jaw against the edges of the base flange of the rail due to the simultaneous twist of the bend 4t lever in a direction clockwise of the forward or creeping direction of the rail. These features produce great tenacity in the anchor to resist slipping of the rail base through the jaw with consequent increased efficiency.

Another advantage of the construction shown herein is that the part t56 is always maintained in compression after the anchor is once applied to the rail. In anchors have substantially U-shaped loops located beneath the rail base there is a tendency of the loop to spread and the elasticity of the metal gradually declines due to the fact that the loop is pulled apart to effect application to the rail base, while in the present construc tion the part l5-6 is pulled to a closed increased gripping position. In anchors having a depending spring loop the gripping force depends entirely upon the resistance of the arms of the loop to the gripping force. In the present construction, however, the resilient loop &.56 is compressed or contracted since the point where the stress is focused is located above the plane of the rail base instead of below. In other words, the outstanding resilient loop 56 has a tendency when applied to the rail to urge the jaw 12-3 toward the hook 7 due to the contraction of the loop 56, thus forcing the anchor to grip the rail with increasing effectiveness.

Due to the novel construction utilized in the present anchors, the force to apply the anchor to its operative position on the railroad rail may be delivered not only in the immediate zone of the plane of the rail base, but with equal effectiveness may be delivered on the portion of the jaw-overlying-loop or driving head below the point of intersection of'a line representing the plane of-the bottom surface of the rail base and a line parallel to the vertical axis of the rail located at the outer face of the loop. Should applying blows be delivered on the driving head below said point of intersection, the body of the anchor will be flexed upward in effecting placement of the anchor in operative position on the rail.

It will also be clear from Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 that a blow delivered on the loop, either in the plane of the rail base or below such plane, will seat the rail flange embracing jaw portion 1-23 in gripping position on the rail flange by causing such jaw portion to turn in the arc of a circle as it proceeds on the flange, thus expanding the loop until such expansion is overcome by the required force to place such loop under sufficient compression to permit or force the rail flange engagprincipal anticreeping grip on the rail.

- of the driving head 5a and the bend 4a.

8 of the hook 7 rides in a horizontal planeo-n" the bottom face of the rail as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. V

The disposition of the tie abutting portion of the present anchors is such that approximately one-half of such tie abutting portion is located on each side of a vertical plane intersecting the junction of the bend 4: lever and he jaw portion 128 when the anchor is in operative position on the rail, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. This construction distributes the tie abutting stress on the anchor so as to maintain the anchor in substantial balance in relation to the grip of the jaw on the rail flange engaged thereby, with consequent substantial elimination of the tendency of the hook to skew out of line with the cross tie which abuts the anchor. In other words, the anchor is thus held evenly against the tie with relation to that part of the anchor, the jaw, which maintains the This is not true of anchors whose intermediate tie abutting portion unequally abuts the tie in relation to the effective rail ripping means.-

A further novel feature of the present construction resides in the formation of the loop 5 about the jaw 1-23 in such a way that the outer face of the loop which constitutes the driving head and also the part 6 connected therewith'may be struck at various tangential points above and below or in line with the rail base to effect the application of the anchor. That is to say, the portion 5 is of looped, U-shaped, or compound curve formation thereby presenting a plurality of impact or blow receiving points radial to imaginary centers located within the jaw 12-3,' so that.

when the portion 5 is struck anywherealong its outer accessible face the force of the applying blow will move the part of. the driving head thus subjected to tangential stress in the direction of the respective radius to compress the loop and its associated part 6. to snap the hook 7 over the opposite rail flange, with the coincident placement of the jaw 1--23 on the flange to be engaged thereby.

A modiflcationof the invention is shown in Fig. 3 wherein strip stock is used. If, for example, a bar by 75 is used, the arms 1a and 2a of thejaw'may be formed so that the or shorter dimension of the bar.

may bear on the upper and under surface of the base flange of the'rail. The metal of the anchor is then turned or twisted as indicated at 9 at a point between the outermost limit The widthof the aw will thus be rendered less transversely of its longitudinal dimension than the width of the depending member parallel to the rail base, with the resulting subinergence of the jaw within the indicated injuring the edge of the tie due to thevibratory action of the rail under passing wheel loads accompaniedby tendency of the railto creep and carry the jaw portion against the tie. Moreover, the submergence of the jaw within the cross-sectional limits of the tie abutting portion 6a of the anchor is accon plished by this method without the need for providing anchors of rights and lefts construction. While this serves tocause the narrower side of the bar to bear against the tie, the longitudinal dimension of the depending member is more than sufficient to offsetthe cross-sectional difference without the need for bends or loops in the tie abutting portion.

It will, of course, be understood that the present invention contemplates; the turning or twisting of the strip stock at any point of the anchor in proximity of the jaw or with in the jaw itself, as the purpose of this fea-- ture of the invention will be achieved so long as the turn or twist occurs above the plane of the bottom surface of the rail base.

I claim 1. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a rail flange engaging hook and an intermediate driving head standing free of the jaw and located in the plane of the rail base. I

2. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and rail flange engaging hook and an intermediate driving head located in the plane of the rail base, and lying outside of a vertical plane intersecting the outer edge of the jaw.

3. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a rail flange engagmghook connected by a spring lever bent around and standing free of the jaw to provide av driving head located substantially in the plane of the rail'flange embraced by the jaw, and the portion between the driving head and the hook constituting a tie abutting 'portion.

4. A one piece rail anchor including a aw and a resilient attaching lever spaced from the jaw to provide driving tolerance for snapping a'hook formed at the end of the lever over the rail flange opposite the one engaged by the jaw.

i 5. A rail anchor including a rail flange embracing and a lever connected with the jaw at the upper side of the rail flange embracing portion and continuing outwardly and downwardly around the jaw to provide a striking head and tie abutting portion, and a locking hook formed on the free end of the lever.

. 6. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by a spring loopstanding free of the jaw and constituting a lever whose fulcrum is located at the junction of the loop with the jaw whereby when theloop is struck substantially in the zone of the plane of the rail base the force of the blow will be transmitted indirectly to the jaw and directly to the portion of the loop terminating in the hook.

7. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate loop constituting a driving head and overlying and spaced from the jaw to constitute a blow impact receiving point for transmittingthe force of the applying blow to the portion of the loop adapted to lie beneath the rail.

8. A one piece rail anchor formed to provide a rail flange gripping jaw and the part of the anchor joined with the upper part of the jaw being coiled about and spaced from the jaw to extend beneath the rail base, and a hook formed on the free end of said coiled portion to engage the rail flange opposite the one engaged by the jaw whereby when the anchor is applied to the rail the coil is compressed to urge the jaw on the rail flange.

9. A one piece rail anchor comprising a body having a rail flange engaging hook at one end, and the end of the body opposite the hook being formed with a rail flange engaging jaw nested within a coiled portion of the body whereby when the anchor is applied to the rail the jaw and coiled portion are forced toward each other.

10. A one piece rail anchor comprising a body of loop formation having a hook formed at one end for engaging with a rail flange and a striking headformed at the side opposite the hook, and a rail flange embracing jaw formed at the inner end of the body and spaced from the striking head whereby the force of the applying blow applied to the striking head will yieldingly urge the jaw on the rail flange.

11. A one piece rail anchor made of bar stock one of whose cross-sectional dimensions is greater than the other, a jaw formed from a part of the metal of least width in the plane of the rail base and the metal of the bar stock being twisted in the direction of its axis adjacent the jaw whereby the metal of the stock of greatest width in the plane of the rail base may be continued around the jaw to form astriking head, and thence extended to form a tie abutting portion, and

a hook formed on the end of the tie abutting portion.

12. A one piece rail anchor made of bar stock one of whose cross-sectional dimensions is greater than the other, a jaw formed at one end of thebar and the metal of the bar adjacent the jaw being twisted about its longitudinal axis and continued downwardly and outwardly about the jaw and thence forwardly to form a tie abutting portion having a hook, the width of the metal in the jaw being less than the width of the continued portion of the bar whereby the jaw is submerged in relation to the tie abutting portion.

13. A spring one piece rail anchor formed to provide a rail flange engaging jaw, a striking'head in shielding relation to the jaw and atie abutting portion, said striking head and tie abutting portion having their outer faces lyingin planes beyond the planes of the faces of the jaw, and a hook formed on the free end of the tie abutting portion.

14. A spring one piece rail anchor formed with a jaw and a tie abutting portion, said jaw being of less width than the tie abutting portion whereby the jaw cannot come into tie abutting engagement.

15. A springone piece rail anchor formed to provide a rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connected by a compression spring loop, said loop projecting beyond the outward limits of the jaw to provide a driving head.

16. A rail anchor comprising a body formed at one end with a jaw portion for engaging the rail flange and formed at the other end with a rail flange engaging hook, the jaw and the hook being connected by an intermediate portion adapted to be flexed upward to apply the anchor to the rail.

17. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate loop, said loop being adapted to be flexed toward the jaw to apply the anchor to the rail.

'18. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange embracing jaw and a rail flange engaging hook connected by an intermediate lever, said lever being fulcrumed at the top of the jaw.

19. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate lever, said lever being fulcrumed at the junction of the lever with the upper side of the jaw.

20. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate loop, said loop being adapted to be expanded above the rail base to apply the jaw to the rail flange engaged thereby.

21. A one piece, rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate loop, said loop being adapted to be expanded above the rail base to apply the jaw to the rail flange engaged thereby and to be compressed to apply the hook to the rail flange opposite that engaged by the aw.

22; A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediateloop, said loop being adapted to be alternately expanded and compressed to apply the anchor to the rail.

23. A one piece rail anchor including a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate loop, said loop being adapted to be alternately expanded and contracted around the jaw to apply the anchor to the rail. I Q24. A one. piece rail anchor'comprising a rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connected by an intermediate tie abutting portion, said tie abutting portion standing free of the aw below the railbase and being adapted to maintain thefapplie'd anchor in substantial balance when engaged by the tie.

[25; A one piece rail anchor comprising a rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connectedbyan intermediate member including a portionadapted to. underlie the base of the rail and a portion constituting a striking head disposed beyond the jaw and also lying at one side of the base of the rail.

26. A one piece rail anchor comprising a pair of rail flange engaging members connected by a body member aportion of which stands free of one of the rail flange engaging members, whereby such rail flange engaging member may be moved with reference to the other rail flange engaging member to place the anchor under compression.

,27. A one piece rail anchor comprising rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connected by. an intermediate tie abutting portion standing free of the jaw,said jaw being adapted to be applied to the rail flange by tangential stress imposed on the part of said tie abutting portion standing free of the aw.

28. A one piece rail anchor including a .hookand a jaw connected by a spring loop 7 standing free of the jaw, whereby said jaw and hook are closer together. before application to the rail than when applied,.thereby to place the spring loop under. compression.

29. A rail anchor comprising a body of spring strip stock of substantiallyspiral formation, a hook formed at one end ofthe spiral formation for engaging one flange of the rail, and a jaw formed at the other end of the spiral formation and lying within the same for engaging theother flangelof the rail. j .7 30. A rail anchor comprising a -body formed of apiece of spring stripstock, said body being of substantially U-shaped formation, a hook formedat. one end of the U- shaped portion, and a rail flange embracing jaw within the U-shaped portion and yieldingly connected with the other end of said U-shaped portion. i o p 31. A-rail anchor made from spring strip stock including a spring rail flange. embrac ing jaw and a spring loop connected with the upper arm of the jaw and having a hook at its free end wherebywhen the anchor is applied to the rail the spring j aw'will be forced on to the rail flange and the pressure of the spring loop will be applied to said upper creep-resisting member extending around the jaw and connected with the'upper surface thereof whereby the component force due to the clockwise movement of the jaw by said member in resisting creeping movement of the rail will cause said jaw to tightly grip the rail flange by relative twisting movement. 1 v

34. A rail anchor including a 'rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connected (by a creep-resisting member, said member being connected to the jaw by'a bendextending upward from the aw, and the intermediate portion of said member being looped about the jaw.

35. ,A rail anchor including a rail flange embracing jaw and a hook connected by a creep-resisting member, said creep-resisting member being joined with the jaw by a bend constituting a lever whereby movement of the creep-resisting member will cause said lever of springsteel formed at one end with a rail flange embracing jaw and at its opposite end with a rail flange engaging hook,'said jaw and book being connected by a resilient spring loop substantially encircling but standing in shielding relation to the jaw and forming a rail underlying tie abutting portion intermediate the aw and the hook.

37."A one piece rail anchor. including a rail flange engaging jaw and a ra l flange engaging hook connected .by a spring loop overlyingbut spaced from the'j aw and constituting a .tieabutting portion and a driving head located. substantially ,inthe plane of the rail base. 7 A V g V 38. .A one piece rail anchor adaptedfor lateral application to a rail base including a jaw adapted to engage with the upper and lower faces of one flange of the. rail and an abutmentfor engaging the edge ofthe opposite rail flange, said, jaw and abutment being connected by a substantially straight under rail portion and a loop, said loop being adapted to be compressed by a blow or equiva 1 a substantially horizontal plane and having an arm portion extending beneath the 'rail basetoward the othen rail flange, and means on the end of said arm portion for engaging with the opposite rail flange.

40. A one piece rail anchor comprising a rail flange embracing jaw and a rail flange engaging abutment connected by an intermediate creep-resisting tie engaging portion, said tie engaging portion being disposed so as to provide substantially equal tie engaging areas at each side of avertical plane intersecting the junction of the intermediate portion with the jaw.

41. A rail anchor including a rail flange embracing jaw and a rail flange engaging hook connected by an intermediate portion,

the portion of the. jaw underlying the rail being of less width than the intermediate connecting portion whereby the jaw cannot come into tie engagement.

42. A rail anchor including a body having a rail flange engaging jaw and a hook, and said body between the jaw and hook being formed with a tie engaging loop standing free of the jaw below the rail base, the outer side of the bend of the loop being disposed as a driving head lying beyond the edge of the rail flange.

43. A rail anchor made from a single piece of strip material including a jaw and a hook for engaging the opposite base flanges of a rail connected by a compressioncreep-resisting tie abutting member; said tie abutting member, below the plane of, the underside of the rail base, being disposed for full engage- 1 ment with the tie throughout the length of said member.

44. A rail anchor adapted to be laterally applied to a rail, including a jaw adapted for. initial rail flange engagement and ahook adapted for subsequent locking engagement with'the other flange of the rail, said jaw and hook being connected by a creep-resisting member including a striking head standing free of the initial rail flange engaging jaw and located at the end of the anchor having the initial rail flange engaging aw; V

45. A rail anchor including a body having a jaw and hook, and said body between saidj aw and hook being formed with anunder rail cree 3-resistin member includin a striking head disposed at an outwardly ad- "vanced location with reference to the'jaw and standing free thereof below the rail base. I 46- A rail anchor made of a sing e piece of material and including spaced rail flange engaging parts connected by an impact receiving member whereby the eflect of a blow on the impact receiving member is to com press the same with reference to the said rail flange engaging parts to lock the anchor to the rail.

47. A one piece rail anchor including a body having a rail flange embracing jaw and a locking hook connected by a tie abutting member,

a portion of said tie abutting member-being 1 formed to provide a driving head which when subjected to pressure is thereby compressed to move the locking hook into engagement with the rail flange. v I [48.'A one piece rail anchor including a body having a rail flange embracing jaw and a locking hook connected by a compression tie abutting member, said tie abutting member being formed with a driving head, whereby the pressure of a blow on the driving head will cause the seating of the jaw on one rail flange and the engagement of the hook with the other. v

49. A rail anchor including a body having a pair of rail flange engaging abutments, and said body between said abutments being adapted to be compressed by -an applying blow delivered thereto whereby to place both abutments in operative position on a rail.

50. A rail anchor comprising a body including a pair of rail flange engaging abutments, the part of the body'connecting said abutments having a substantially straight under rail portion connected with one of said abutments by a loop adapted to be compressed by a blow or equivalent stress to place both abutments in operative position on a rail.

51. A rail anchor comprising a body including a pair of rail flange engaging abutments, the part of the body connecting said abutments having a relatively straight under rail portion connected with one of said abutments by a loop presenting a plurality of both the jaw and the hook in operative position on a rail. 7

53. A one piece rail anchor comprising a body of loop formation having ahook formed at one end for engaging with a rail flange and a striking head formed at the side opposite the hook, and 'a rail flange embraging jaw CHARLES IT. HOFFMAN. 

